Missions Minute - Tom and Bev Hawkins (May 8, 2025)

Bev and Tom Hawkins are our missionaries serving in France (about 45 minutes north of Paris in a small town called Agnetz).

In March, Bev completed a weeklong stretch of catering, serving anywhere from 4-40 musicians and technicians per night who were putting on a “community opera”. This opera project’s main goal was to make opera accessible to those who might not usually go to the opera.  

The Soli Deo Gloria outreach choir recently performed in a county choir festival, which went well and new contacts among singers were made. The Easter concert also went well and they are about to enter their busy season with 3 performances coming up in May/June.
The creative weekend art retreat has been postponed.  Several people were interested, but the dates did not work out for them.  But as an offshoot, a GEM colleague from Greece who wanted to attend with his wife has decided to organize a similar retreat in Greece for next winter, so we are in the planning stages of that.  The original retreat will be rescheduled, hopefully sometime later this year.

Bev’s been enjoying holiday-filled May in France, where several national holidays often lead to extended breaks. This year, all three major May holidays fall on Thursdays, which has disrupted her usual art schedule. With her art group and Friday practice canceled, she’s had a light schedule and is making the most of it. She’s been working on the house after a major bathroom renovation, organizing spaces and preparing for summer guests, including her grandchildren. She’s also taking advantage of the beautiful weather to do outdoor chores like weeding. The Easter service and art show went really well, and she’s now focused on finalizing details for the choir’s three upcoming concerts. She’s continuing in "Grandma mode," planning activities to keep her daughter’s energetic children engaged. Later in the month, she and Tom will take a short vacation followed by a GEM conference, returning just before the family arrives for the summer.

Tom has been traveling to support other GEM missionaries across Europe for the last few months. May is his last month of traveling before he is home for awhile.